1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an insulation displacement terminal assembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,970 an electrical terminal assembly comprising an electrical terminal having an insulation displacement contact comprising a pair of coplanar arms projecting from a base portion and having opposed edges co-operating to define between them, a lead receiving slot opening in a direction away from the base portion.
In this known terminal assembly the base portion of the terminal is supported in a first housing. In order to insert an insulated lead into the lead receiving slot of the terminal, the lead is supported in a second housing having a slot for receiving the arms of the insulation displacement contact, and the first and second housings are mated so that the lead is forced into the lead receiving slot, so that the edges of the slot make firm electrical contact with the metal core of the lead.
It has been found that the natural tendency of the lead core under the lead insertion force is to cause one arm of the insulation displacement contact to move in a direction other than the plane of the plate forming the IDC slot and the other arm of the contact moves in the opposite sense. Such opposite displacement of the arms tends to cause the distance between the edges of the lead receiving slot to increase, thereby impairing the electrical conductivity between the lead core and the insulation displacement contact.